There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,973, a cast metal retention member for use in securing an electrical connector mounted on a circuit board, to a panel, for example a computer back panel. The retention member comprises a flange, from which extends a tubular shank for insertion into an opening in a mounting portion of the connector housing, the shank being internally screw threaded for meshing with a screw for securing the housing to the panel. The shank has external retention means in the form of peripherally extending, and axially extending, spaced ribs, which are configured not only to secure the shank in the opening against axial and rotary movement with respect to the housing, but also to ensure that the shank can be cold pressed into the opening without damage to the mounting portion of the housing, which may be thin walled. The retention member thus acts as a screwlock so that no loose nut is needed for securing the housing to the panel. For securing the housing to the circuit board, a mounting portion of the housing is provided with a bottom flange which is apertured so that it can be bolted to the circuit board. Since the housing, and thus the bottom flange, are of insulating material the bolt serves no electrical connecting function.
There is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,552 a one piece, stamped and formed locking clip for insertion into aligned holes in a superposed plate and a circuit board to secure them together to allow the locking clip to be soldered to a ground conductor on the circuit board. The locking clip has a resilient and compliant first portion for reception in the hole in the plate, a second portion for reception in the hole in the circuit board and spring arms for engaging with the ground conductor.
Shielded Data Link connectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,457,575, 4,458,973, and 4,572,602. Such connectors are used, especially where a cathode ray tube and the keyboard of a computer need to be connected by means of shielded cable. A mating pair of such connectors comprises a shielded plug connector and a shielded receptacle connector, the latter usually being panel mounted.